In a meeting room, on stage or in front of a camera, more and more women are choosing a jumpsuit over a dress. A one-piece piece that creates a straight, almost uniform look, and which sometimes gives the impression of putting on modern armor. Where does this power come from?
At the Museum of Decorative Arts, the exhibition shows how clothing inspired by sport enters everyday life. , summarizes its commissioner Sophie Lemahieu, cited by AFP. This quest for freedom of movement prepares the arrival of the modern jumpsuit.
From workshops to sports fields: the jumpsuit tames movement
Born around 1919 as a technical uniform for paratroopers, the work suit quickly spread to factories. During the Second World War, when men went to the front, female arms workers put on this masculine blue. For them, wearing one-piece pants is still a daring move.
Sports fields open another gap. At first, women shot archers in corsets and hats, then bicycles required baggy pants that still looked like a skirt. By adopting tighter swimsuits, swimmers are pushing back modesty and gradually accustoming people’s eyes to freer feminine silhouettes.
From factories to catwalks: when the jumpsuit becomes fashion
In the 1930s, Elsa Schiaparelli was already sketching city jumpsuits for daring women. In the 1960s, the piece entered the pages of , then Yves Saint Laurent made it into a refined jumpsuit in 1968. The disco 1970s established it, before Balenciaga signed architectural silhouettes all in one piece in 2002.
At the same time, Françoise Hardy embodies a different femininity. Revealed by , the singer nevertheless remains marked by her complexes: , she confides to Luxus Plus magazine. On stage, Paco Rabanne created a show suit in chain mail, a real armor of light. She also became close to André Courrèges, whom she describes as a different creator, almost a poet, who accompanied her taste for a more androgynous look.
Today, a jumpsuit as a uniform for female emancipation
Today, the jumpsuit is becoming the power uniform for many professionals. Carolina Ritzler tells the magazine: . For her, , and her label dresses artists as well as managers.
In the streets, the same logic applies: revisited in a fluid suit, in denim or in a zipped workwear version, this garment of working-class origin offers pockets and ease. A single gesture to get dressed, fewer constraints on the body: many read it as a discreet sign of female emancipation.
What is a jumpsuit?
One-piece garment that combines top and bottom.
Why does the jumpsuit have an emancipatory image?
Coming from men’s work clothing, it frees up movement.
How to wear a jumpsuit to the office?
Choose a simple cut, a beautiful fabric and closed shoes.
